the basics:
remove battery when lappy is connected to the mains
store battery at 40% charge and in the refridgerator if possible (do not store in freezer)
fully discharge the battery after every 30 charges to calibrate the charge meter
lithium-ion does not have a charge memory
if possible, don't buy two batteries, but wait till the first one dies and then buy another
don't buy old stock, even if discounted
expected life of a lithium-ion battery is 2-3 years

According to CheesyKing, you can remove the battery from a laptop without worrying about losing BIOS information. If you do this, do what you can to protect the battery port on the lappy from collecting dust.

Last edited by flip-mode on Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:36 am, edited 3 times in total.

couple questions...how are you supposed to charge it if you don't have the battery in when it is plugged in alos, why would someone buy 2 batteries if they didn't need the more than the capacity that 1 could provide

just to tell you my story, i've had my laptop since jun 2003...it's a dell 8500 w/ a 15.4" p4-mobile 512mb...blah blah...i've had the same Li-Ion battery since day one....I use it for 3 of my 6 classes, so it's constantly being unplugged and used then brought back...i run it down to 5-10% of remaining life almost every day...I have it plugged in whenever I am in my dorm...never take the battery out....and the result:

i still get around 2 hours at max battery life...which is about 15 minutes less than new....i'd say it's not worth the hassle in my case

That's terrific that you're battery is maintaining so well I hope mine does as well. The info provided by the article is still a terrific resource. Lot of guys and gals have questions about battery handling. Common questions:

does my battery have a carge memory?
how to I make my battery last longer?
should I buy a sparer battery?

And so on and so on. This guys method of study and overall comprehensive sharing of information is also a little more scientific than many responses posted in forums - so its handy info, good to know, don't you think.

Nice info mate. Unfortiunally, my laptop battery has bad contact or something atm, can't get it to run. So I'm always connected right now, gonna clean the pins and try some more at a later time. Can normally handle having a cord from the lappy anyways.

I saw this giant spare battery that plugs into your power adapter port
http://www.electrovaya.com/product/powerpad160.htmlamazing. I've known of people building chargers for their PDAs before, it's about time someone did it for laptops. I wonder if it would be possible to make your own. I suspect it would take quite a few rechargable AA batteries though

and i don't understand. Do I just go for the biggest number cause that'll be best?

The more cells the more energy the battery pack can store, hence longer battery life. However, you have to pay attention whether the 6 or 9 cell models will be large so you have something sticking out of the laptop. Which laptop model are you talking about? We can help you look it up if they are the ones that stick out.

The Model M is not for the faint of heart. You either like them or hate them.

The more cells in your battery the longer it will last. If youre going to be plugged into the wall socket then the 6 cell will be more than enough..if youre going to use the lappy a lot away from a power source then get the biggest one you can as it will last much longer. If youre using the supplied adapter in conjunction with a power source you should take your battery out once its charged anyway

Just an old sheepdog waiting for some nasty wolves to show...ive got more than enough teeth left.